Thursday, October 15, 2009

Imagine being arrested at 19 years old. Imagine being convicted of murder and attempted murder. Imagine sitting in prison for 15 years. Imagine your father dying just months before you were to come home. Now, imagine going through all this and actually being INNOCENT.

All of this because police officers and attorneys withheld important evidence, case details, and a confession. A witness said the killer was a black man in a white tank top, shorts and held the gun in his right hand. Um...in 1995 a LOT of men wore white tank tops, but Richard Miles was wearing jeans and is LEFT-HANDED!

When his family told us he was being released, my first thought was, "Oh my God! WOW! That's such good news!" Everyone was ssso excited! I mean, how could you not be? But then reality set in...

How is someone supposed to just mix right back into society after this? He was freakin 19 years old when he was arrested...19! So much time lost. The things so many of us take for granted, he missed out on: searching for "The One" to grow old with, starting a family, finding that "perfect" job that leads to a great career, buying a home, a big 21st birthday bash, the dreaded 30th birthday celebration, siblings' weddings, the birth of nieces & nephews, family reunions...you know...LIFE. Life is already hard enough, but imagine losing 15 years of yours and then having to start over. Ridiculous.

"A finding of innocence would make Miles eligible for money from the state, which this year passed the nation's most generous compensation law. Texas pays the wrongly convicted $80,000 for each year they spent behind bars, plus a lifetime annuity worth at least $40,000 a year." ~From the aforementioned NBC DFW report.

He deserves THAT money and so much more. How many other innocent people are in prison right now for crimes they didn't commit? It turns my stomach to think about it. What would Richard's family be going through had he been sentenced to death? How many innocent people have been sentenced to death for crimes they had not committed? Its something to think about.

Thank God for Dallas's new District Attorney Craig Watkins and Centurion Ministries, the organization that help to free Richard Miles.

*Yes, I know I repeated Richard Miles' full name several times, but after what he's been through, he deserves to have his name heard (and read).*

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Here lately I've been watching a lot more Intervention on A&E. You've probably seen it: the addict believes they're the subject of a documentary and are there to share their story along with their family, but at the final meeting there's an intervention. Their initial reaction is (usually) one of surprise, anger, and betrayal. All at once. Sometimes they turn and leave, other times they stick around just to amuse their families. More often than not, they accept the help being offered to them. It can be easy to judge people, but once you really get to know the families on TV, you begin to understand their struggles and realize that they're just like you and me. And that it really can happen to anyone.

The best and most important thing you can do if you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction is to GET HELP.

Choosing a rehab program is a difficult and daunting task. Michigan drug rehab is a referral service designed to assist you in finding the best treatment possible for your individual situation. They offer,at no cost to you, rehab program information for recovery of substance abuse addictions including: inpatient, outpatient, long term, short term, 12 step, Non 12 step, executive, teen, adult, medical detox, drug free detox, and many others.

"We have achieved relationships with providers of addiction treatment programs to place addicted individuals into the best rehab for that individual.

Our knowledgeable and empathetic staff has excellent track record finding rehabs for those in need.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the disease of addiction please complete our brief online assessment form or give us a call immediately, we can help." ~Michigan drug rehab

Full-time mother, business woman, daughter, friend, confidant. We'll talk about any and everything, hot or not. I'm a hip new momma with the most wonderful life. Lighthearted, fun, full of news, gossip, lifestyle segments, and even product reviews. Life is good. I've got a lot to say and I'm not afraid to say it...read on and you shall see.